Electric guitar



R. MEAZZI ETAL 3,291,888

ELECTRIC GUITAR Dec. 13, 1966 Filed May 5, 1964 (Ir-VT I 4 N 44 I I WINVENTORS R emu Maui; 9901700 C'Qfdiron/ Ii /A 0 afzm United StatesPatent 3,291,888 ELECTRIC GUITAR Remo Meazzi, 6 Via Piatti, FrancoCaldironi, 24 Via Bolzano, and Attilio Olivieri, 32 Via Trebbia, all ofMilan, Italy Filed May 5, 1964, Ser. No. 365,007 Claims priority,application Italy, May 7, 1963,

7 Claims. (Cl. 841.16)

This invention concerns an improved electric guitar, of the typenormally used by dance orchestras.

It is know that electric guitars, of conventional type, are equippedwith one or more magnetic microphones, preferably placed under thestrings, respectively, in correspondence with the handles end and nearthe bridge holding the said ones.

These magnetic microphones are suitable for transmitting the electricpulses, into which the vibrations have been transformed, to an externalamplifier which transforms them back into sounds.

The first of said microphones reproduces the deep sounds, as the stringsvibrations are wider, owing to the peculiar position occupied by thesaid microphone.

The second one, on the contrary, reproduces the higher sounds, owing toless wide strings vibrations, which are nearer the holding point.

As both microphones are banked, through a single channel, to theamplifier, there follows an unbalance between the two frequencies,compelling the operator to touch up continuously the amplifiers volumecontrol.

For these reasons, known electric guitars, actually built, producesounds which are subjected to disturbances, ground and backgroundnoises, while it is impossible to obtain a rational and homogeneiclevelling of both frequencies.

Consequently, the sounds quality is impaired and its volume is notstable, owing to blending or partial mixing of said bands for saidfrequencies.

The main scope of this invention is the realization of an improvement,as embodied into the apparatus of said type, and such as to eliminatethe above referred to difliculties.

The guitars, being the object of this invention, actually allow toobtain, at the feeding end into the amplifier of known type, to whichthe instrument is externally linked, only perfectly levelled signals, ofgreat strength.

Said improvement, besides offering the possibility of keeping the soundsreproduction apparatus at a lower volume, with great benefits asregarding the quality of its reproduction, allows its well the groundsand background noises elimination and permits the insertion into thecircuit of components such as capacitors and resistors, suitable forpredetermining such timbres as otherwise are absolutely unobtainable.

This improvement provides also for the realization of means, to be usedin electric guitars, suitable for allowing the automatic breaking of theelectric circuits connected to them, when said instruments are disposedin their rest position.

The improved instruments referred to, show also the feature of beingequipped with dissolves and volumes controls, suitably responding to alever device, partially rotatable around a stationary pin, along a pathwhich may be suitably limited by mobile stops.

These dissolves and volumes controls, owing to their functionalfeatures, show a strong advantage as compared to the similar controls,now used for electric guitars.

Said controls, actually, may be displaced more easily, along a fixedpath, by the action of the players hand.

This last accordingly, thanks to the peculiar shaping of 3,291,888Patented Dec. 13, 1966 the levers actuating the dissolves and volumescontrols, as applied to the electric guitars under reference, may playand at the same time actuate said controlling elements. These and otherfeatures of these improved guitars may be better understood with thehelp of the various figures in the enclosed drawing, in which:

In FIG. 1 there is shown an electric guitar, as seen from the top;

In FIG. 2 there is shown an electronic circuit, as applied to theimproved guitar under reference; it is characterized in that, before theamplifier circuit, there is provided a potentiometer, having thecapacity of obtaining a lap dissolve of the electric pulses, astransmitted by two suitable microphones.

With particular reference to the numerical symbols of the encloseddrawing, the improved electric guitar under reference is characterizedin that it comprises two microphones 12 and 13; these are preferablyplaced in correspondence of two surface parts of said instrument, nearthe place where the strings lay.

Particularly, microphone 13 is disposed in correspondence of a positionnear where the little bridge 15 is located. As clearly shown byexamining FIG. 1 of the enclosed drawing, a microphone 12 is preferablyapplied upon the frontal surface of the guitar, in correspondence withthe handles ends position 14 of said instrument; the microphone 13 shallpreferably be applied in correspondence with a position near the bridge15.

Owing to this peculiar disposition of microphones 12 and 13, the firstone is reproducing the low sounds, while the microphone 13 will take thehigher ones.

Such a diversity of timbres is due to the fact that the stringsvibrations, in the position where the microphones have been disposed,are of different width.

Whenever the microphone 12 is inserted into the amplifier, it will beeasily remarked that the efiiciency of the detector will amount to manytimes that of microphone 13' such a phenomenon is due to the fact thatthe vibrations of strings, above the microphone 12, are much wider ascompared to those taking place in correspondence of a nearby position,inrelation to the position where the microphone 13 has been applied.

No one has ever thought how to find a remedy to this heavy difficulty.

The player, in the case of conventional electric guitars, in order to beable to obtain levelled sounds, is forced to use the volumes control ofthe amplifier, so provoking a consequent augmentation of ground noise.

Such a contrivance, besides, does not allow the perfect mixing of thetwo microphones, as one is confronted by two signals of differentintensity.

For the specific instance of this invention, microphones 12 and 13 aresuitably banked to a potentiometer 21, which allows for the mixing ofsignals or pulses, coming from said microphones, by suitably controllingthe intensity of the same ones.

This control is made possible, by actuating a lever 19, capable ofrotating around a pin 36, this last being suitable contained within thebody of this improved guitar.

Said lever 19 comprises an end part, which protrudes outside the guitarand is partially covered by a metallic plate 16; this last is slightlyabove the upper surface 10 of the guitar under reference.

Owing to this peculiar disposition of said plates 16, as

' related to the upper surface 10 of the guitar, the lever 19 is capableof jutting out, in correspondence with its end part, from said slit, insuch a way as to be very easily displaced by the player.

This type of manual control, as applied to the dissolves control orpotentiometer 21, is in itself a part of this invention.

Said lever 19 may be suitably coupled to a scale 20,

while in the body of plate 16 there may be made some slits 38 and 39, inwhich there are inserted self locking means, preferably of the wing nuttype; these may be suitably moved, within fixed limits, along the saidslits 38 and 39.

The two stops 34 and 35 have function of allowing a limitation in therotation of lever 19, when the peculiar nature of the music, which isbeing reproduced, may call for a suitable limitation in the use, withincertain limits,. of said dissolves control 21.

This lever 19, applied to the dissolves control 21,. allows an easiercontrol for such element, as compared with the handles, of the typeshown in 24 and 25.

Said handles, in the specific instance of the improved guitar underreference, have the function of regulating the tone for the soundsemitted by the instrument and are, accordingly, applied to the controlsschematically shown in FIG. 2 and marked 26 and 27.

The improved guitar under reference is also charactrized in that itcomprises a second metallic plate 17, to which is applied the actuatinglever 22 of the volumes control 18.

Said actuating device is of a similar type to the one shown with 19 andis preferably coupled to a scale 23. It may be pointed out that thisimproved guitar is preferably transistorized and fed by electricbatteries 30.

In FIG. 2 of the enclosed drawing there are'shown two transistors 28 and29, being parts of the amplifiers circuit, applied to the guitar underreference. With 33 is marked a mercury bulb, which acts as an automaticswitch for the electronic circuit amplifying the sounds. Morespecifically, said mercury bulb has the function of automaticallyopening and closing the feed circuit of the batteries, whenever theguitar is respectively put in its rest or use position.

This bulb, in other words, permits the passage of electric current onlywhen the mercury, owing to a suitable inclination of the bulb itself,may arrive at a prefixed level.

Such a contrivance allows the player to part with the trouble ofbreaking the circuit whenever he ceases the use of his instrument.

Naturally said bulb 33 is applied in such a position as to close thecircuit when the guitar is placed in a position corresponding to itsuse; the element 33 acts as a switch, when the guitar is inclinedotherwise.

It is good to remark that the actuation of the lever 19 allows the useof the lap dissolve for the sounds and consequently for the electricpulses respectively received and transmitted by the microphone 12 and13.

Owing to the peculiar features of the dissolves control under reference,it is possible to level suitably the sounds received by the twomicrophones 12 and 13, by actuating one lever only; said one mayinfluence and modify, gradually and contemporaneously, the intensity ofsignals received by said microphones 12 and 13.

It is claimed:

1. In an electric guitar, in combination, a guitar housing having anopening; a plurality of guitar strings mounted on said guitar housingextending above said opening; at least two microphones mounted on saidguitar. housing and located in the region of and spaced from' each otherin direction of said guitar strings so as to receive tones of differenttypes; operable electrical mixing means arranged within said guitarhousing and connected to said microphones for mixing the tone signalstransmitted by the same and adjusting the amplitudes of said tonesignals relative to each other in such a manner that upon operation ofsaid electrical mixing means the amplitude of the tone signals of onemicrophone is in creased while the amplitude of the tone signals of theother microphone is decreased, and vice-versa; a plurality of adjustingmeans each associated with one of said microphones for individuallyadjusting the tone signals transmitted by the respective microphone; andpre-amplifier means arranged also in said guitar housing and connectedto said electrical mixing means for amplifying the mixed electricalsignals derived therefromyand connector means on said housing connectedto said pre-amplifier means and adapted to be connected to a conductorfor transmittin g the pre-amplified mixed tone signals.

2. An electric guitar according to claim 1 wherein said electricalmixing means includes mechanical means ma-nually operable for adjustingsaid mixing means.

3. An electric guitar according to claim 2 wherein said electricalmixing means comprises a potentiometer having a resistance element and asliding contact movable along said resistance element and connected toground potential, said microphone being connected to said resistanceelement, and said mechanical adjusting means being linked to saidsliding contact.

4. An electric guitar according to claim 3 wherein said mechanicaladjusting means comprises a lever mechanically connected to said slidingcontact and electrically isolated therefrom, said lever projecting outof said guitar; an indicating scale associated with said lever andmounted on said guitar for indicating the position of said lever; andadjustable stopping means located at each end of said scale for limitingthe motion of said lever.

5. An electric guitar according to claim 1 wherein said adjusting meansfor individually adjusting the tone signals transmitted from saidmicrophones includes means for suppressing noise signals associated withsaid tone signals.

6. An electric guitar according to claim 1 including a portable energysource mounted within said guitar for energizing said pre-amplifier.

7. An electric guitar according to claim 6 including a mercury switchconnecting said energy source to said preamplifier when said guitar isin one position, and disconnecting said energy source from saidpre-amplifier when said guitar is in another position.

ARTHUR GAUSS, Primary Examiner.

I. BUSCH, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN ELECTRIC GUITAR, IN COMBINATION, A GUITAR HOUSING HAVING ANOPENING; A PLURALITY OF GUITAR STRINGS MOUNTED ON SAID GUITAR HOUSINGEXTENDING ABOVE SAID OPENING; AT LEAST TWO MICROPHONES MOUNTED ON SAIDGUITAR HOUSING AND LOCATED IN THE REGION OF AND SPACED FROM EACH OTHERIN DIRECTION OF SAID GUITAR STRINGS SO AS TO RECEIVE TONES OF DIFFERENTTYPES; OPERABLE ELECTRICAL MIXING MEANS ARRANGED WITHIN SAID GUITARHOUSING AND CONNECTED TO SAID MICROPHONES FOR MIXING THE TONE SIGNALSTRANSMITTED BY THE SAME AND ADJUSTING THE AMPLITUDES OF SAID TONESIGNALS RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER IN SUCH A MANNER THAT UPON OPERATION OFSAID ELECTRICAL MIXING MEANS THE AMPLITUDE OF THE TONE SIGNALS OF ONEMICROPHONE IS INCREASED WHILE THE AMPLITUDE OF THE TONE SIGNALS OF THEOTHER MICROPHONE IS DECREASED, AND VICE-VERSA; A PLURALITY OF ADJUSTINGMEANS EACH ASSOCIATED WITH ONE OF SAID MICROPHONES FOR INDIVIDUALLYADJUSTING THE TONE SIGNALS TRANSMITTED BY THE RESPECTIVE MICROPHONE; ANDPRE-AMPLIFIER MEANS ARRANGED ALSO IN SAID GUITAR HOUSING AND CONNECTEDTO SAID ELECTRICAL MIXING MEANS FOR AMPLIFYING THE MIXED ELECTRICALSIGNALS DERIVED THEREFROM; AND CONNECTOR MEANS ON SAID HOUSING CONNECTEDTO SAID PRE-AMPLIFIER MEANS AND ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A CONDUCTORFOR TRANSMITTING THE PRE-AMPLIFIED MIXED TONE SIGNALS.